The New Frontier of War: Beijing Arms Pro-Palestinian Activism

China is cynically instrumentalizing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and pro-Palestinian activism in the United States to undermine American global leadership and promote its own authoritarian agenda. Through an opaque network of state funding and media, Beijing amplifies anti-Western narratives and even anti-Semitic tropes, turning dissent into a weapon to strengthen its geopolitical influence at the expense of democratic stability

The landscape of U.S. national security is increasingly complex, with adversarial state actors exploiting internal divisions to project weakness and advance their geopolitical interests. A critical analysis is provided by Jennifer Baker's report, "CCP Influence in US Pro-Palestinian Activism," published in July 2025 by the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. This study reveals a deep and concerning intersection between pro-Palestinian activism in the United States and sophisticated influence operations linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Credit Extrema Ratio

The Architect of Influence: Neville Roy Singham and His Network

At the heart of this influence network is Neville Roy Singham, a U.S. businessman residing in Shanghai, who has meticulously built a vast funding infrastructure for activist groups with explicitly anti-U.S. and anti-Israel agendas. Baker's report highlights how Singham has channeled funds through a "dark money" network that includes non-profit entities such as the Justice and Education Fund (JEF) and the United Community Fund (UCF). These organizations, despite having a minimal physical presence, serve as conduits to support groups that promote narratives aligned with Beijing's strategic interests.

Singham's ties to the CCP are not new; they date back at least two decades, including his position as a strategic technical advisor to Huawei between 2001 and 2008, a company subsequently designated as a national security threat by the United States. His admiration for the Chinese economic system and his participation in Communist Party workshops underscore a deep ideological alignment that goes beyond mere financial support.

The "Shut It Down for Palestine" (SID4P) Campaign: A Geopolitical Front

The "Shut It Down for Palestine" (SID4P) campaign, launched in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, represents a striking example of how this network operates. Key organizations such as the People's Forum, ANSWER Coalition, and International People's Assembly have been identified as the main promoters of SID4P, all financially, ideologically, and organizationally connected to Singham and his wife, Jodie Evans, co-founder of CodePink.

The People's Forum, for instance, has received millions of dollars through the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, with donations attributed to Singham, and has openly acknowledged his support as a "Marxist comrade." These organizations not only coordinate large-scale protests, sit-ins, and direct actions but also promote anti-imperialist rhetoric that faithfully mirrors CCP propaganda, framing the Israel-Hamas conflict as part of a broader struggle against U.S. "imperialism."

Financial Connections and Media Network

The sophistication of this operation is evident in its financial and media structure. JEF, for example, has disbursed millions of dollars to various groups in Singham's network, including $2.3 million to Shanghai's Maku propaganda outlet and $2.9 million to NewsClick in India, an outlet subsequently investigated for alleged illegal Chinese funding. UCF received an $8.3 million grant from JEF, redistributing it to Singham-aligned projects, including $3 million to the People's Forum and $700,000 to the Tricontinental Institute.

In addition to funding, Singham's network operates a robust media infrastructure, with Break Through News (BTN) operating out of the People's Forum. BTN regularly produces content that aligns with CCP talking points, including defenses of China's actions in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. After October 7, 2023, BTN rapidly shifted its editorial focus to Gaza, producing sophisticated videos and social media content that at times outpaced even traditional grassroots protest channels, dominating platforms under hashtags like #ShutItDown4Palestine, many of which were launched or amplified by CCP-linked networks.

Dangerous Intersections with Designated Terrorist Organizations

A particularly alarming aspect of Baker's report is the evidence of intersections between this CCP-linked protest network and organizations with ties to U.S.-designated terrorist groups. Samidoun, a Palestinian prisoner support network banned by Canada and the U.S. for its ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), endorses SID4P and works closely with coalition members. The International People's Assembly (IPA), one of SID4P's leading conveners, hosted a conference where Leila Khaled, a PFLP member and airplane hijacker, appeared as a featured speaker. These connections demonstrate a dangerous overlap between far-left U.S. activists and foreign extremist figures.

China's Strategic Posture and the Instrumentalization of Antisemitism

China has adopted a posture of "formal neutrality" in the Israel-Hamas conflict but has strategically signaled alignment with the Palestinian cause. Its statements avoided condemning Hamas, focusing instead on the suffering of Gazan civilians and the need for an immediate ceasefire. Beijing has intensified its criticism of Israel's military campaign, refraining from condemning the October 7 Hamas attack. This position sharply diverges from Western governments and serves to strengthen its image as a reliable partner in the Global South.

This strategy is part of a broader Chinese effort to influence global opinion, discredit the West, and expand China's power. Chinese foreign policy rhetoric and pro-Palestinian protest slogans clearly overlap, both framing the conflict in terms of colonialism and imperialism. Chinese state media, such as Global Times, frequently accuse the U.S. of being the "driver of instability in the Middle East," reinforcing the protesters' message.

Even more concerning is the instrumentalization of antisemitic tropes. China Central Television (CCTV), the CCP's flagship state broadcaster, aired a segment that echoed antisemitic conspiracy theories, claiming that "Jews, who represent 3% of the U.S. population, control 70% of its wealth." This not only promotes harmful stereotypes but also fuels antisemitic sentiment, further radicalizing animosity.

The Global Cognitive War: A Multistate Front

The analysis of CCP influence is situated within a broader context of "global cognitive war," as detailed in an analysis published on Extrema Ratio on November 5, 2023, which highlights how the Israel-Hamas conflict rapidly transformed into a "global war on the Internet," characterized by an unprecedented barrage of online propaganda and disinformation.

This "war" sees Iran, Russia, and China using their state media and major social media platforms to support Hamas and undermine Israel, while simultaneously denigrating the United States. Representatives of Iran in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, along with extremist groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS (who previously fought Hamas), have also joined this online battle. According to government officials and independent researchers, the scale of this operation is such that it influences the conflict "perhaps as effectively as any other battlefield tactic."

Cyabra, a social media intelligence firm, documented at least 40,000 bots or fake accounts online since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The content disseminated is visceral, emotionally charged, politically biased, and almost always false, fueling anger and even violence far beyond Gaza. On the very day after the conflict began, almost one in four accounts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X posting information about the conflict appeared to be fake. In the 24 hours following the Al Ahli Arab Hospital explosion, more than one in three accounts posting about the conflict on X were fake.

While the campaigns do not appear coordinated, Iran, Russia, and China share specific motivations for supporting Hamas and mutually amplify their views across multiple platforms and languages. Examples include RT's Spanish division publishing a statement from the Iranian president describing the Al Ahli Arab Hospital explosion as an Israeli war crime, despite subsequent denials by Western intelligence agencies. Similarly, Sputnik India quoted a "military expert" who claimed, without evidence, that the U.S. had supplied the bomb that destroyed the hospital. As James Rubin, director of the State Department's Center for Global Engagement, stated, "We are in an undeclared information war with dictatorial countries."

Conclusion: Implications for National Security

In summary, overwhelming evidence exists that the CCP, along with Iran and Russia, is actively exploiting social and political divisions in the United States and globally to advance its strategic objectives. Through well-funded networks, media infrastructures, and skillful manipulation of online discourse, these adversarial state actors are amplifying pro-Palestinian activism.

This strategy aims not only to weaken U.S. global leadership and divert attention from their own human rights abuses but also to shape a more favorable global narrative and strengthen their image in the Global South. The protest infrastructure, media channels, and ties to extremist organizations indicate a significant threat to national security. While individual protests may be motivated by genuine outrage, the infrastructure surrounding their activism is clearly instrumentalized by an external influence with deeper strategic intent. It is imperative that U.S. national security agencies and lawmakers recognize the gravity of these influence operations and adopt robust measures to counter foreign manipulation of public discourse and domestic activism. The "discourse warfare" is a critical front in geopolitical competition, and Beijing, Tehran, and Moscow's ability to exploit internal dissent poses a direct challenge to the stability and cohesion of the United States.